To your camera point - I recently partook in a project a friend of mine is putting together involving 4x5 cameras, wherein she will take your portrait and in exchange you have to take hers even if you've never used a camera before. Getting a crash course in a real camera like that was a great experience and it's really turned me on to the whole idea of buying a camera like this or something more robust that will cause me to think about photography as a medium instead of just blasting pictures with my phone (which doesn't happen as is). It seems like a wonderful medium and the nuance of the technology is interesting, much unlike things like snapchat and instagram which I've always been a bit uncomfortable with. Not exactly sure why.
Back in that uncanny valley when a DSLR was $2800 but nobody was developing film anymore, everyone was unloading their field cameras. I almost bought a 8x10 Horseman for $225. No lie. But then I started doing the economics on it. Measuring the footprint. See - Lemme interrupt. Do you darkroom? I darkroomed. Black'n'white darkroom stuff can be fun; I was mostly doing it in a friend's bathroom. Even then you're talking about a healthy supply of toxic chemicals. I stopped at 6x7 because I realized that I had to save up a bunch of rolls of film in order to justify rolling out all the chemicals. And I had a Voigtlander Bessa, too - an antique. Optics that put Zeiss to shame. Marvelous aspect ratio - think it was a 9x17cm or something. But then I started looking into cutting film for it. And that's where things start getting dumb. See, the film for that needs to be cut to size in total darkness. And loaded in total darkness. And unloaded in total darkness. And never mind that an 8x12 Velvia is $12 a sheet and you'd get maybe 3 shots out of it because unless you're willing to get into stupid chemicals you're shooting black'n'white anyway. And that was the ultimate problem. B&W you can do in a bathroom (if it's clean and if nobody else needs to use it for the 4 hours you'll be fucking with it. Here's where I should probably mention that I had a Beseler 23CXL with the dichro head: ...but if you want to develop color film, shit gets real. Color processing makes sous vide look like barbecue. Timing down to the second; temperatures to a tenth of a degree. I was almost there. But I realized that using that $250 Horseman would involve building a $25k addition onto my house. ________________________________ This is a mandarin goby. Isn't she beautiful? You can buy them for about $18. Problem is, you need about 80 gallons of reef tank to make them happy. Reef tanks, done right, are about $1000 per linear foot. So to keep your $18 goby alive you need a $5000 reef tank. So I celebrate your $150 4x5. Great idea. Just know what you're getting into. I stopped taking pictures for about 4 years because nobody remembered how to develop film and you couldn't get into a full-frame DSLR for less than $8k. Then you could for about $2800 and I bought one. I still shoot with it 7 years later. And I know for a stone-cold fact if I'd bought that Horseman for $250 I would have sold it, regrettably, for half that much two years later having never taken a single picture.
Yeah, I've got an old Polaroid lying around from the old days. I was so happy at first when i found it in old boxes but the funds to actually use it are too much. Not as much as starting to develop film on my own, but still, 5$ per shot is too much. Maybe I'll get a fujifilm. I hear shorts are about 2$ (Which is pretty much what it costed to take a polaroid back in the day apparently).
Oh man! Is that the Goby you were talking about?! I love those! The Aquarium on Sepulveda in Culver has 2 or 3 really phenomenally beautiful ones. Our little Blenny has come out from hiding and is now BFFs with the clownfish. Our female keeps chasing him away from the clownfish corner, but the blenny and the male clown are friends. It's like a weird affair of sorts. ps: I've slept now. Expect shit to get done today.
Damn, dude. That might have been one of the best analogies I've seen you make, point well understood. I'm also interested in something where I can put a Polaroid back on it. (Things from someone with no to minimal photography experience). The "taking the pictures" part seems much more fun than the "developing the film" part. But the latter still appeals a bit to the chemist inside me.
It appeals to the chemist inside me, too. You've got me thinking about that damn Horseman again, dammit. Big stupid Ansel Adams cameras'n'shit. They're definitely fun... but if you ever need to get 'em into the 'puter fuggedaboudit. The way to do it is to find a co op or do a darkroom class at a community college. You don't need a lab a lot, but when you need a lab you need a lot of it. It can be a lot of fun but I've had other fun things occupying my time for quite a while now.
You just gave me a great idea for meeting some new people out west. Keep thinking about those big ole cameras.
I'm head back for another shot of school this summer. Planning on web design and getting a photo cert. been messing around a ton with my girlfriends dslr. It's fun and I think I have som sort or knack for it. Had a fun time messing with longer exposure and led poi. Also took some picture of friends playing pool last night and was able I get alright contrast to outline their faces and the tables from the overhead light. Give me too classes before I realize I suck though. Having done other chem experiende I'm excited to learn about darkroom things.